At the Movies During the Pandemic

Just the other day, I finally did something that I haven't been able to do in months. I went to the movies.

Ever since I was a kid, going to the movies has been my favorite past time, as it has been for so many people. I was the type of person who would go watch films sometimes as often as three times a week, so my previous subscription to AMC Stubs A-List really helped me get out and explore not only films I wanted to see, but also films that I may not have gone out and paid money for normally. My local AMC is my theater of choice. The first film I ever saw there was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. At that time, the theater was newly built, and so going to see a movie there truly was a special event. The giant screens, the delicious popcorn, the IMAX, and the reclinable chairs have been enticing me for years. However, it pains me to say that my viewing of Tenet last week could possibly be the last film I ever see there.

Tenet is the only film I've been able to go out and see recently, due to the pandemic. I can honestly say that while I enjoyed the movie itself, my movie-going experience was more than bittersweet. It was a Friday night, and I was catching the 7 PM showing at my AMC's IMAX theater. At this time last year, the halls would have been packed. People would have been conversing, laughing, and having a good time. All around, there were posters advertising the upcoming films we were all dying to see. Like many film buffs, I too had been dying to see Tenet. However, when I got to the theater Friday night, it was like going to visit a place not filled with warmth and excitement, but with a cold sense of loneliness.

In the entire IMAX theater, there were only eight other people besides imyself. Everyone was wearing masks. The employee at the concession stand handed me my typical medium sized popcorn while wearing gloves. The only posters on display were for the movie we were all about to go see. The other spots where there would have been posters simply had signs reminding attendees to wear their mask. The movie theater is supposed to be a place where people can come to forget about their own problems, and escape from the outside world.

I enjoyed watching Tenet on that giant screen. IMAX truly is the best format to experience this film. Unfortunately, due to the necessary safety measures in place, I was not able to fully turn my brain off from the issues of the real world.

As I left the theater, a sad reality hit me. Tenet could very well be the last film I ever see at that theater. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted countless aspects of everyday life, and going to the movies is no exception. AMC has been hit the hardest of the major theater chains, and there is a real possibility that they could be closing their doors in the near future. On a normal Friday night, I would leave that theater either with a family member, friends, or even sometimes alone, and my mind would be racing with thoughts about the film I just saw. Yet, leaving my AMC last Friday night felt like leaving one's childhood home for the last time before they move. All of the memories kept coming back to me. That theater truly has become a second home to me, filled with tons of laughter, adventure, and community. But thanks to the truly awful circumstances we are all now facing in life, that home will never be the same.